What it means
The knees touching with a gap between the ankles, loading the lateral condyle.
Where it comes from
Axis misalignment with weak glutes and foot pronation driving the knee inward.
How it is measured
It is measured on the front view, in the coronal plane. The defining measurement is Knee alignment — bowed or knock-kneed (Hip-knee-ankle axis deviation), and it is reported as a finding from above 3°. The number is computed from landmarks on that photograph — not estimated by eye, and not compared against a stock example.
What the numbers mean
| Measurement | Grade |
|---|---|
| up to 3° | Within normal range |
| 3–6° | Mild knock knee |
| 6–10° | Moderate knock knee |
| 10° and above | Severe knock knee |
Source of the bands: Hip-knee-ankle deviation from straight; intermalleolar distance beyond ~8 cm is the conventional tape threshold
What is usually seen alongside it
- Gap between the ankles (Intermalleolar distance) — above 8°
- Heel rolls inward (Rearfoot angle) — above 5°
- Heel rolls inward (Rearfoot angle) — above 5°
None of these is a diagnosis on its own. Together they corroborate the finding; apart, they do not refute it — a measurement nobody took counts neither for nor against.
What confirms it
Intermalleolar distance with the knees together; a standing full-length radiograph.
Every number on this page is measured on the skin surface in a photograph. That is not the same as a measurement taken on a radiograph: it correlates with one and does not replace it. Wherever the decision depends on imaging, this page and the report itself say so.
What happens at the clinic
The assessment starts with three standing photographs — front, side and back. Every angle is measured on those photographs, the report prints the number and the grade for each, and the exercise programme is built from those numbers rather than from a template. Posture analysis explains the whole path, and the online assessment can be started from your own photograph now.
Frequently asked questions
At what point is genu valgum reported?
When knee alignment — bowed or knock-kneed (hip-knee-ankle axis deviation) is above 3°, it is reported as a finding. That is where the "Mild knock knee" band begins. The bands come from: Hip-knee-ankle deviation from straight; intermalleolar distance beyond ~8 cm is the conventional tape threshold
Can genu valgum be assessed from a photograph?
A photograph gives a number, which most assessments do not have. But it is a surface measurement and it does not replace imaging. Intermalleolar distance with the knees together; a standing full-length radiograph.
What is the most severe grade?
The worst band in this table is "Severe knock knee". The grade is printed beside the measurement itself in the report, so it is always clear which number produced the word.